What outcomes are important to families following a stillbirth? A qualitative systematic review

Introduction   

Estimates suggest that each year,   stillbirth affects 2 million families   worldwide (1,2). Studies have demonstrated that the care families receive following stillbirth is inadequate and is often variable between care settings (3). This is perhaps because interventions offered to families who are affected by stillbirth have a limited evidence base (4).

Objective

To  use qualitative research to identify what outcomes related to care are important families with a lived experience of stillbirth. This can then inform the development of a core outcome set for future stillbirth care research. 

Methods

We systematically searched 7 electronic databases. 15,495 papers were screened. Studies were included if they has qualitative methodology and reported outcomes of stillbirth. We excluded papers that included pregnancy loss <20 weeks and neonatal death, non-English language. 74 studies were included in this review. These papers were then read by 2 independent reviewers and coded using the software Nvivo. The two independent reviewer then engaged in iterative discussion throughout extraction and analysis. The codes were refined and grouped into broader outcome categories.

Results